Demand for stretch denim among men rise by 70%

What was once a woman's domain in denim wear is now a fast growing fetish among men. It is the stretch variety of denim jeans. Made from spandex or elastane, a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity, the stretch denim has found a growing number of male consumers in India in recent times, say industry players.

Much against the global trend where stretch denim is mostly manufactured in the women's category, in India, says Aamir Akhtar, CEO - Lifestyle Fabrics (Denim), Arvind Ltd., the growth of stretch denim in men's category is tremendous.

"While in women's category almost 100 per cent of denim bottom wear are stretch, in men's category it is now about 70-80 per cent. This, when couple of years ago, non-stretch bottom wear in men's category used to be dominant at almost 90 per cent. Which means, demand for stretch denim among men has rise by 60-70 per cent," says Akhtar.

Needless to say, the stretch denim tends to offer much more comfort as compared to rigid ones.

"Earlier, as an innovation in denim, the stretch material was restricted only to women with bottom wear products like leggings and jeggings being marketed in the female category. However, lately the convenience and comfort that the stretch material, it has attracted demand from men as well in recent times," says Rajesh Dudeja, founder member of Denim Club of India (DCI).

In terms of revenue as well, the rise in demand of stretch denim among men has ushered good news for manufacturers and retailers alike. While the cost of manufacturing a stretch denim using spandex, with Lycra of DuPont being the largest global brand, is about 10-15 per cent higher than non-stretch, sales price tend to even higher by 18-20 per cent, say industry experts.

"Apart from the added cost of spandex, weaving and processing of stretch denim also tends to be tricky. However, in totality, retailers do tend to cash in on the demand and are able to earn higher margin," says senior textile consultant PR Roy.

Apart from margins, the other benefit for denim makers is acceptance in quality variations. "While manufacturing at mass level, even a minor variation in size is still accepted in stretch denim, something one doesn't enjoy in non-stretch or rigid denim bottom wear," adds Akhtar.